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Ice-bucket challenge: is it safe in pregnancy?

Kimberley Walsh has refused to do it, so asked our midwife whether it’s safe to take on the ALS ice-bucket challenge when you’re pregnant

Pregnant singer Kimberley Walsh has revealed she isn't doing the ice-bucket challenge because she’s worried it could kickstart contractions. So we checked with MFM midwife Anne Richley to see whether the social media phenomenon was on the 'Things to avoid in pregnancy' checklist.

Anne's answer was that the ice-bucket challenge is fine - if that's what you want to do. "Drenching yourself in cold water when you're pregnant is OK," midwife Anne tells us, "but, if you’re worried, avoid really extreme temperatures – so do the ice-bucket challenge without the ice!”

So why did Kimberley opt out?

The Girls Aloud star is expecting her first child with boyfriend Justin Scott in the next few weeks.

She recently watched bandmates Cheryl Cole and Nicola Roberts complete the challenge to raise money in aid of ALS (better known as Motor Neurone Disease in the UK) but then said she wouldn't be following suit in case it was "too much of a shock for the poor baby".

"I know it's for a good cause but it might be too much of a shock for the poor baby… Can you imagine if it brought on the labour?" she told OK! magazine

Of course, if your pregnancy is high-risk or you're feeling particularly anxious about doing it, like Kimberley was, then it's probably wise to give that ice-bucket a bodyswerve. You could always nominate someone else – like pregnant Zoe Saldana did in her video!